Ohio families eyeing big back-to-school savings will be back on a tight clock next year. Gov. Mike DeWine announced on May 1 that the state’s expanded sales tax holiday is ending, with the event reverting to its traditional three-day weekend format in August 2026.
The tax-free window is scheduled to run from midnight on Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, and will again focus on a single weekend instead of a longer run. DeWine said money that had been earmarked for the larger holiday is being shifted to other tax-relief measures.
As reported by WKYC, the restored three-day schedule will replace last year’s two-week window and will again center on early August shopping. According to the same report, Tax Commissioner Patricia Harris is already urging shoppers and retailers to plan ahead so they can make the most of the exemptions.
Why Lawmakers Scaled the Holiday Back
Lawmakers redirected the dollars that funded the broader 2024-25 exemptions into a School Revenue Temporary Offset Fund as part of House Bill 186, which cancels any expanded sales-tax holiday for 2026, according to reporting by WOSU Public Media. Legislators say the redirected funds help pay for a temporary property-tax offset built into recent reforms.
What Qualifies and When
State law defines the three-day back-to-school holiday as the first Friday of August and the following Saturday and Sunday. It limits qualifying purchases to clothing priced at $75 or less and school supplies or instructional materials priced at $20 or less, according to the Ohio Revised Code. The code also requires the tax commissioner to notify vendors of the holiday dates no later than the first day of June preceding the event.
How Shoppers and Retailers Should Prepare
The Ohio Department of Taxation is expected to post official guidance and FAQs ahead of the weekend. Retailers are advised to confirm point-of-sale settings, and online sellers are reminded to ensure orders are charged the correct tax based on the payment date, not the shipping date. For vendor notices and qualifying-item lists, see the Ohio Department of Taxation, and for context on last year’s broader break, revisit the two-week 2025 holiday.
DeWine has framed the move as a way to balance short-term consumer relief with longer-term property-tax reforms. His announcement in Cleveland on May 1 gives families and merchants an early heads-up about the Aug. 7-9 weekend, according to WKYC.
